Growing up, my father was a real estate entrepreneur. When my brother was just a few months old, my dad posed him for a picture with “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill across his lap. This was a life-changing book for my dad and stimulus for growing a successful company. My mother was working on her degree in psychology and took me to participate in her class on transcendental meditation, which was intended to enable one to contact their field of creative intelligence, permitting one to realize the full potential of their lives.

This was heady information at a young age, so between Napoleon Hill and Transcendental Meditation, I had the basis for believing in the power of being your own boss and that your thoughts strongly influenced your life.

In “Think and Grow Rich,” I was attracted to the idea of forming a Mastermind group that served as a group of trusted advisors. Hill stated the human mind is a form of energy, and when the minds of two people are coordinated in the spirit of harmony, the spiritual units of energy of each mind form an affinity. Hill talked about great entrepreneurs such as Andrew Carnegie and Andy Grove of Intel, who had Mastermind groups.

Hill believed when a group of individual minds are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through the alliance becomes available to every individual in the group. This became a definition of synergy, which I first experienced at AT&T Bell Labs. I was energized by the power of brainstorming together, the lack of attachment to one’s own ideas and being part of creating something bigger. Great thinking came out of the world-renowned institution because of the synergy.

Throughout my career, I was always seeking this type of collaborative environment. I found it again when I arrived in Orlando, a place of connectedness, of coordination, of collaboration. It seems this is a place that embraces “creating a bigger pie, rather than taking a bigger slice.”

It is apparent that entrepreneurs all over Central Florida want to help one another succeed. I see this with the Board of Directors of Orlando Inc., with other successful entrepreneurs and with the entrepreneurial support organizations that exist to help others grow their business.

This commitment to our community was present at the Orlando Inc. event The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, where we discussed resources available to entrepreneurs, such as the UCF Business Incubation Program, GrowFL, Rollins Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship, Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center, Black Business Initiative Fund and the Disney Entrepreneur Center.

I saw this desire to connect and collaborate at our Cool Tech Showcase, where tech entrepreneurs helped businesses understand how to leverage technology for business advantage. We discussed social media success strategies, use of mobile marketing and iPhone apps, cloud computing, and websites for the international marketplace,  to name a few. So at this sold-out event, I donned my dork glasses, the horn-rimmed ones with the tape in the middle, in celebration of geeks everywhere. Growing up, I did not have tape to hold my glasses together, but a very large safety pin on the side.

The B.I.G. Summit* on Nov. 18, celebrating Business Innovation and Growth, is another example of entrepreneurial connectedness. The Summit focuses on learning from other entrepreneurs, people who have been there and done that. Last year, we had the opportunity to hear from Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. His company was purchased by Amazon last year and valued at more than a $1 billion. We all listened intently as he told us how he built his company, selling shoes on the Internet, based on the philosophy of “Delivering Happiness.”  I know that everyone walked away with valuable nuggets they were able to use in their business.

This year, we have many great entrepreneurs scheduled to speak, and our keynote speaker is Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist of Life is Good. Bert and his brother have built a multimillion-dollar international business based on a philosophy of “Spreading the Power of Optimism.”

I know that, as a community, we are on the right path. We are cultivating the synergy needed to generate new ideas and foster innovation. We have leaders that believe we can only achieve greatness by putting our minds together. To have success, according to Kauffman Foundation, the world’s largest foundation devoted to Entrepreneurship, we need to have in place:

• Pro-entrepreneurial policies, taxes and legal infrastructure

• A culture that is open to new ideas

• Entrepreneurial training, mentoring and networks

• Strong educational and research systems

• Great amenities

• Infrastructure and transportation

With strong universities and colleges, committed entrepreneurial support organizations and specialists, sunshine and beaches, sport and art centers, SunRail and high-speed rail and, of course, a “Five Star” Chamber of Commerce, we are positioned to become a B.I.G.* entrepreneurial hot spot.

Editor's note: * Business Innovation and Growth.

The science center has embarked on a major retrofit of its facility to increase energy efficiency and decrease operational costs. At the same time, executives intend to have the center serve as a community leader in the use of sustainable technologies.

The first step in the process was the installation of a new HVAC system, which is already providing cooler inside temperatures. Now, educational experiences are being developed to teach the science behind sustainability and its positive impact on the operations of both the science center and the environment in general. An added benefit to the HVAC installation was a complete roof replacement, which permanently repaired leaks caused by the previous system. Film treatments also are being added to all the building’s glass windows. Plus, the center is pursuing the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification — the nationally accepted benchmark for the operation of high-performance eco-friendly buildings.

This is sort of like putting money where your mouth is.

Another reason to anticipate the opening of the new Amway Center: fine art. (No, not Dwight Howard's shooting motion from the foul line or coach Stan Van Gundy's sideline theatrics.)

Sports & The Arts was named as art consultant for the curation and installation of artwork, photography and large-format graphics at the $380 million Amway Center, which opens this fall. The collection will include original paintings, photographs, sculptures and graphic wall treatments, highlighting both the Orlando Magic and the spirit of Orlando and Central Florida. Sports & The Arts plans to encourage community involvement by collaborating with local artists, historical societies, libraries and galleries to capture the essence of the region.

Perhaps most notable among the sports venues that Sports & The Arts has curated is the new Yankee Stadium. Now, all Amway Center will need is that championship banner.

The numbers add up to the need for huge support: Approximately 1 in 5 Central Florida residents — roughly 732,000 people — needed food assistance last year, a 152 percent increase from 2006.

That disturbing tally is what made last month's Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation so significant. The event — a sampling of fine foods, spirits and wine from some of the region's most recognized culinary experts — raised funds to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. In 2009, the Second Harvest Food Bank distributed more than 21 million pounds of groceries, the equivalent of more than 14 million meals. Similarly, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida provided nearly 300,000 meals to homeless individuals, including almost 200 children each night.

More numbers to consider: For every $1 donated to Second Harvest, up to $9 worth of grocery products are provided to those in need. And $10 provides a week of nutritious breakfasts and dinners for six homeless children at the Coalition.

At press time, no word was available about the total amount of money raised — but it will all get put to good use.

Fresh off an Independence Day weekend, here's an effort worth saluting: the creation, by Orlando residents Marnie and Michael Waldrop, of the Camaraderie Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps local veterans.

Michael, who was wounded in a tour of duty in Afghanistan and recognized the need for a supportive counseling resource, established a place where service members back home could combat the mental and social side effects of war. The foundation has several counselors offering their services to it at a highly discounted rate. The veteran receiving the help is responsible for paying only 25 percent of the reduced rate, with Camaraderie paying the rest.

Florida, by the way, has the second-largest U.S. veteran population, and there are more than 350,000 veterans in Central Florida.

Healthcare in the region just broadened its reach. The Grace Medical Home has opened, bringing a new healthcare model to Central Florida by serving the primary-care medical needs of the region’s low-income and uninsured.

Even in the wake of healthcare reform legislation, most of the provisions to expand coverage to the roughly 45 million people nationwide who lack insurance won't take effect until 2014. Additionally, the most optimistic projections by the Congressional Budget Office point to more than 20 million people who are uninsured and millions more who are underinsured.

Grace Medical, located near downtown Orlando, seeks to fill that void locally with a solution it has developed to remove the burden from the current healthcare community, including hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. Currently, almost 1 in 4 Central Floridians lacks health insurance. Also, one of Grace’s most notable offerings is its use of electronic records, which enables the practice to quickly access and file patient records. (Only about 5 percent of U.S. healthcare institutions have this technology in place.) Patients pay a $20 annual enrollment fee and a $20 facility fee per visit.

In case you missed it, the Orlando VA Medical Center has unveiled a 3-D model of its new Lake Nona Campus. Also, the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation Inc. has announced plans to build a Veterans Memorial Park at the Lake Nona site.

The VA hospital, a 1.2-million-square-foot facility opening in fall 2012 on 65 acres, will house a large multi-specialty outpatient clinic, 134 inpatient beds, 120 community living center beds, a 60-bed domiciliary, and administrative and support services. The adjacent Veterans Memorial Park will honor veterans from Orange, Lake, Brevard, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties who died in service. Of course, the center and park join the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, the University of Florida Research & Academic Center, and the Nemours Children’s Hospital at the burgeoning “medical city.”

Promising plans.

In June, the Palm Bay Aquatic Center helped establish a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted.

BREVARD

The Palm Bay Aquatic Center had a hand in setting a new mark for the world's largest swimming lesson. In June, the center joined more than 100 aquatic facilities around the globe to establish a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted, as well as to build awareness of the vital importance of helping prevent drowning by teaching children to swim. The “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” was created as a platform to help aquatic facilities and the many different regional, state, national and international water safety and drowning-prevention organizations work together. Olympic Gold medalists Janet Evans and Rowdy Gaines helped to champion the awareness effort, which locally was sponsored by the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by recreation staff at the Palm Bay Aquatic Center.

LAKE

The Lake County Department of Information Technology’s divisions of Geographic Information Services (GIS) and Programming & Application Support Services have released a new online interactive map named City View at http://gis.lakecountyfl.gov/CityView, which displays zoning and future land use for eight participating municipalities in a single Web application. Reusing existing data, the application takes advantage of both Lake County and municipal sources of information, resulting in a collaborative effort that promotes synergy and eliminates duplication of work, according to Kevin Willis, director of the Lake County GIS Division. Lake County GIS has hosted several municipal Web maps featuring zoning and future-land-use data over the years. Originally, eight separate Web maps were hosted as a courtesy to the local municipalities. When the county’s GIS Division upgraded to a more efficient server platform, it created an opportunity to upgrade the City View maps as well. Municipalities featured in the City View map include Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Mount Dora, Tavares and Umatilla.

ORANGE

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded the Orlando Fire Department more than $8.36 million from a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. The purpose of this SAFER grant is to provide funding for rehiring laid-off firefighters, with the funds expected to preserve 46 firefighter positions. At press time, the city was in the process of evaluating and reviewing the guidelines associated with the SAFER grant. Orlando had to address an approximately $40 million budget deficit to arrive at a constitutionally mandated balanced budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. In addition to substantial cuts in operating and maintenance budgets, the city eliminated several hundred positions.

OSCEOLA

After a successful beta-testing phase, Osceola County has launched its free Commercial Property Search Online. The database, available at www.ChooseOsceola.com/go/propertysearch, allows property owners and real estate agents to list their Osceola County properties as the primary response system to submit properties for pending economic development projects. The new system is viewed by county officials as a more efficient and cost-effective way to list properties and showcase them to key decision makers. The system was built by the county’s Information Technology Department and replaces an e-mail query system, as well as a more costly commercial subscription system. The full-featured online search is Phase 2 of the Osceola County Economic Development Department's Web site, which already offers a dynamic and user-friendly online presence that enables site consultants and targeted industries to access information easily.

POLK

Polk County officially opened its new contemporary Emergency Operations Center in Winter Haven. During the active 2004 hurricane season, it became clear that the existing center, located on leased property, could no longer support the ever-changing needs of emergency operations. Polk County received nearly $2 million in state and federal grants to address the space and operational issues by constructing a new facility. Guided community tours marked the opening of the all-hazards center, which features improved capabilities for both community disaster response and recovery.

SEMINOLE

In its early days, Sanford was known for its agriculture, earning the moniker Celery City. Now, perhaps Garden City is more apt, as government officials and residents have tried to revive the past with the groundbreaking of Sanford's first community garden. On a site at 18th Street and U.S. Highway 17-92, beds were raised, several yards of compost were brought in and mulch was spread, followed by the installation of a fence and storage shed. The idea came from city of Sanford staff as part of an employee-suggestion program. Deputy City Manager Kristi Aday liked the idea and pursued it. The city didn’t have to go far to find people interested. Elizabeth Harkey, the city’s urban forester, took the reins and ran with it, immediately finding residents willing to make it work. The first site serves as a pilot project, with plans for other community gardens throughout the city.

VOLUSIA

The Volusia County Public Library system now offers mobile access to Gale databases on the library’s Web site at www.volusialibrary.org. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, maintains more than 600 reference databases for libraries, schools and businesses. The databases include Global Issues in Context, Kid InfoBits, Books and Authors, auto repair with ChiltonLibrary.com, Grzimek’s Animal Life, Peterson’s Testing and Education Resource Center and Gale LegalForms, to name a few. If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, you can download the AccessMyLibrary application from the iTunes store. The application uses GPS to find public libraries within a 10-mile radius of the user’s location and then allows the user free, unlimited access to that library’s Gale online resources. The Gale databases also are available to library card holders at www.volusialibrary.org when they click on "eResources" on the home page.

No previous experience working in a restaurant, check. No previous ownership of a franchised business, check. Unfamiliar with new geographic region, check. Unaware of eventual natural disaster, check. Oh, and wife pregnant during relocation and startup, check.

If ever there were a list of when not to take the entrepreneurial leap, it was compiled by Andy Gross. That was six years ago. Now, Gross is working on another list — five Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar locations up and running, and two more opening within a month, plus a recently completed expansion (adding 2,100 square feet to an existing 6,700). He has committed to a total of 12 locations, with the potential for 15 in a territory that stretches from Davenport to Daytona. In addition, he has signed on for a new concept, called Smashburger, intent on building up to 20 such restaurants in Central Florida. (The signature burger is smashed on a grill to seal in flavor.)

In the searing heat of the restaurant world, that's like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Yet, for Gross, leaps of faith are becoming about as routine as whipping up an order of Grilled Chicken Buffalitos, one of the favorites on his menu.

And to think Gross was a software engineer whose life revolved around creating patents before all this craziness began. He began his original career 18 years ago in Arizona before moving in 1995 to Colorado, where he “worked lots of hours and did lots of traveling.” Mostly, he realized, he was doing all that work for somebody else.

No particular moment drove him to change — just the steady gnawing feeling that a brighter horizon beckoned than what he could see from his Denver office. So, with few preconceptions about what lay ahead, he began his search.

“We [he and wife, Laura] actually just started driving around and looking at things and going, ‘Would we want to do that?’”

Hitching his wagon to a casual-dining sports-themed eatery such as Buffalo Wild Wings was far from his initial thoughts. Although he certainly enjoyed a sports bar atmosphere well enough, smaller operations, like sub shops or ice cream parlors, seemed better fits. After he and Laura had looked around for a few weeks, though, his uncle, who had run several businesses, made the suggestion. Even better, he offered financial help. That prompted Gross to drive about 30 miles from his home, outside Denver, to see one of the restaurants firsthand. He left duly impressed: “I could hang out there, I thought. I could own this.”

The idea of (saucy) wings took flight.

That was in 2001. The next three years weren't an easy ride. First, upon negotiating to open Buffalo Wild Wings sites in Denver and completing the requisite financials — including having a minimum of $800,000 total net worth per restaurant unit — Gross received word that the Minneapolis-based franchisor had decided to open corporate-owned restaurants there. “They kind of threw us for a loop,” he recalls. Gross could walk away or explore sites elsewhere. Since he was already qualified financially, he chose the latter.

Then there were the questions of where and when. Regarding where, no “aha” moment, again, occurred to seal his fate — just ample sunshine, inviting neighborhoods and the enticement of Central Florida's demographics, which matched the franchise's youthful customer profile. Not coincidentally, the name of his Longwood-based company is Sunshine Restaurant Group Inc.

As for when, wife Laura held all the cards. Pregnant, she simply demanded that any relocation happen before her final trimester. “As much as anything, that drove my timeline to get here,” says Gross, who had flown to Orlando about eight times, looking for housing and restaurant sites. “She wanted our son [Ryan] to be born in our new house.”

Such are the types of cloaked details behind any entrepreneur's startup story.

And there was still another chapter. Call it Summer 2004, authored by Charley, Frances and Jeanne. The first two hurricanes hit while the first Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant was under construction on International Drive. The third hit the week after it opened, promptly closing it down. “We definitely had our struggles in the early days,” he says.

Gross, still only 39, can smile a bit more easily these days. Since opening that first restaurant in September 2004, his Sunshine group has exceeded industry and Buffalo Wild Wings franchise standards on numerous financial metrics. In the five-year period from late 2004 through 2009, annual sales increased from $2.7 million (2005) to $14.2 million. The employee count grew tenfold, from about 40 to about 400. And the five restaurants served more than 3.3 million guests.

Most notably, even in the deep recession of 2009, Sunshine showed sales growth of about 3 percent, compared to the Orlando-area chain restaurant store average of about minus-10 percent. Sunshine’s average unit volume was 16 percent higher than the chainwide average, with sales increasing during the year by 37 percent. Eighty employees were added, and construction commenced on the two new units, one in Kissimmee (10,500 square feet) and the other in Clermont (9,600 square feet). Also, during its third anniversary party last October, the Buffalo Wild Wings in Waterford Lakes had the seventh-highest daily sales ever for any restaurant in the 27-year history of the chain, which has 650-plus restaurants.

“My hat's off to him,” comments T. Michael Ansley, president and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc., which operates 16 Buffalo Wild Wings in the Tampa area and Michigan, with 22 more to build. “Everybody wants to retire and go open a franchise in Florida. He's been able to do it very successfully.”

Heady success, for sure. Yet, Gross isn't ready to anoint himself Mr. Restaurant. Instead, with his engineering roots, his recipe for success lies in analysis, assessment and execution. He isn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and dive into a batter of breaded wings — yes, he's done that during a Super Bowl. The preference, though, is to focus on employee procedures, the fine print (not necessarily on the menu) and other minute details.

At the same time, he acknowledges what he doesn't know and sees the benefits of having an open mind. That attitude, in fact, is what drew him to Buffalo Wild Wings. Upon his characteristic scrutiny, he became impressed with the backgrounds that the franchisor didn't have. “Basically, the entire executive team wasn’t restaurant people,” he says. “They knew they didn’t know restaurants. They understood their piece of it. They weren’t there to run a restaurant; they were there to run a restaurant business.”

What the franchisor did offer was support. And the eatery's lively concept didn't hurt, either.

Typical support encompasses everything from site selection and floor plans to preapproved suppliers and a restaurant-opening training package. Additionally, Buffalo Wild Wings’ startup and ongoing training programs teach franchisees and their staff about running a location, including the preparation of menu items; effective food service operations; hiring and personnel management; and marketing, promotions and public relations.

The restaurant concept, meanwhile, is all about casual dining, including finger foods, chicken dishes, salads, burgers and full-bar drinks, presented in an atmosphere that is highlighted by large-screen TVs and dozens of smaller monitors broadcasting sporting events, with a series of National Trivia Network consoles mixed in for entertainment. The alignment of tables and chairs allows customers to easily group together or isolate themselves as desired.

Picture a dressed-up college hangout with enough polish to attract patrons outside the typical male, ages 21 to 35, sports bar set. And the place is especially geared toward big sporting events. During February's Super Bowl, his five restaurants sold 75,000 wings (50,000 of which were bone-in), both dine in and take out.

“You can ride their success,” Gross says of good franchisors. “Obviously, put your own spin and your own flavor to your stores, and you can build the brand locally. But you have that large corporation, doing their job, helping you out.”

At a cost. Since the time when Gross needed $800,000 per unit, the price has edged upward. “They’re not cheap to do,” he concedes. “It’s not a little sub shop; it’s expensive.”

Money isn't the only consideration, advises Gross, ever the analyst, who graduated from Penn State in 1992 with a B.S. in computer engineering and first worked at IBM. “To me, being a franchise is just a piece of a whole big puzzle. You have to put your whole business plan together. If your business plan and what you’re trying to do makes sense to be part of a franchise, and your business plan is acceptable to [the franchisor], that’s when franchising makes sense. If your business plan makes more sense to do something on your own, then that’s the plan to follow.”

Gross has immersed himself in the franchise. He handles the day to day, as well as locating sites, negotiating leases, overseeing construction — and making “lots of wings.” “I like to be involved,” he offers. “I know what it’s like. I know what my people [his employees] go through; I respect it. It’s a lot of work.”

Not only is Gross part of the franchise, but in some instances he's helping to drive it. He is chairman of the Buffalo Wild Wings National Franchise Association and a national director of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations, along with serving on the board of directors of the Central Florida chapter of the Florida Restaurant Association. “I haven't [seen] the passion and enthusiasm from anybody like him in a long time,” comments Christy Williams, executive director of the National Association Management Group, which manages the Buffalo Wild Wings National Franchise Association. “People want to participate but just don't have the commitment to put in the time because of their business obligations.”

There is more to come, too. The franchise agreement with Smashburger calls for him to develop and operate 20 Smashburger “better burger” restaurant locations in Central Florida over the next four years. Three of them could be open by year end. Turning promoter, he says, “Once you try a Smashburger, you’ll understand what everybody is raving about.” Sprinkled across the country, Smashburger is the newest retail concept funded from the private equity and concept development firm Consumer Capital Partners, based in Denver.

Clearly, Gross isn't planning to slow down — maybe just relax a bit. And this time, there was an epiphany.

Near the end of last year, Gross left town to attend a board meeting of the Coalition of Franchisee Associations. He recalled a year earlier, when he continually had to monitor his restaurants. “I don’t like being surprised,” he notes. Not this time. No such “check in” was necessary. “I now believed that my team could run this,” he says.

“You get the right people in place. You keep them and you keep them motivated. That’s how you build a business.”

That moment came on the heels of a successful opening, in early 2009, of his Casselberry restaurant, which finished the year among the chain's top locations nationwide in sales volume. The pieces, even if maybe on wings and a prayer, had fallen into place.

Not bad for a software guy who sought something new, building from scratch in an unlikely setting.

Still sounding very much like an engineer, he explains that the operations of the business are what excite him. And he makes this confession: “It was never my idea to work in a restaurant.”

5 Franchisee Musts

1. Choose something to own that you are passionate about. As with any business, the franchise you choose will be a major portion of your life. It’s important to own a company you enjoy.
2. Look at franchises that other successful franchisees are looking at as well. Successful franchisees are successful for a reason — they have picked winners in the past. Follow their lead.
3. Examine detailed financials provided by both the franchisor and a few of the franchisees. A franchisor’s role is to sell franchises and thus will present the best possible situation. You can verify their pitch by examining a few of their franchisees.
4. Choose a franchise that has shown a track record of success. This should be a given, but many times a potential franchise owner will buy into a good sales pitch or something that sounds like a good idea.
5. Look at the assistance provided by the franchisor for training, marketing, operations and other items. A good franchise will have multiple programs to help its franchisees succeed.

Adaptec Inc. provides storage-access solutions that reliably move, manage and protect critical data and digital content. .decimal Inc. is a manufacturer of patient-specific medical devices related to radiation oncology. Chip Supply Inc. creates semiconductor products and services for use in aerospace, military and medical applications, as well as commercial and industrial systems. Piezo Technology Inc. is a worldwide supplier of custom frequency control products.

There's a trend here.

With the production of high-performance components for computing, medical equipment, the military and more in a treasure trove of technology, Central Florida is emerging as a significant spot for an industry that is similarly on the ascent: advanced manufacturing. Crossing over many traditional industry sectors, companies throughout the region share a reliance on head-spinning research and space-age engineering for what can aptly be called anything but your parents' manufacturing.

Other examples: Ortheon Medical is a development stage medical technology company; Transpo Electronics makes premium quality automotive electronic components for charging, ignition and engine management systems; Crystal Photonics produces crystals for use in medical imaging and semiconductor applications; UroSolutions Inc. specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of urological products; and Sawtek provides surface acoustic wave (SAW) solutions for various wireless applications.

Of course, it's likely you already know about Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, which designs, develops and builds advanced combat systems; Northrop Grumman Corp., the creator of systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers; and  Mitsubishi Power Systems Inc., which encompasses power systems, shipbuilding, steel structures, air-conditioners, machinery for industrial and general use, and aerospace systems.

Whew. And the list goes on.

Such wizardry can be wondrous, too. Indeed, while Central Florida's economy continues a now-you-see-it/now-you-don't recovery, advanced manufacturing represents badly needed magic that won't disappear anytime soon. The circumference of its wand, in fact, is only growing larger.

Advanced manufacturing?

In simple terms — if that's possible, given the nature of the technology — think computers, robotics and the innovative power of the human mind.

“Now, it's not just people at assembly lines,” asserts Nancy Stephens, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Florida. “More often, they are at computers, making sure that the computers are processing things properly in order to tell the machines what to do.”

Also, whereas manufacturing was once typically local, with occasional broader components, the norm today is global, she adds: “Manufacturers who never thought about exporting their products, now are either exporting or thinking about it. And those who already exported are thinking about expanding to more markets.” Manufactured goods, she cites, represent roughly 94 percent of all exports from Florida.

Stephens comments cover the entire state. Yet, drilling down into Central Florida, she uses words like “large” to describe the number of exporters and “great” in reference to their work. “The Central Florida area exhibits the diversity of manufacturing in the state,” she says.

Clearly, local advanced manufacturing has impact.

“Advanced manufacturing is the foundation; it's the base,” says Sherry Reeves, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida. “As we build upon that, then we have the high-impact clusters of aviation/aerospace, clean energy, homeland security and defense, information technology, life sciences. … These clusters are merging together, and they always have been.”

All totaled, Central Florida's “knowledge-based” economy is loosely tabbed at more than $13 billion, employing more than 53,000 workers. Notably, most of those workers are highly educated (with college degrees) and well paid (with hourly wages of $35 and $60 for computer systems analyst and engineering managers, respectively).

Nationwide, nearly all manufacturing industries have become higher skilled (and higher paid), some by shedding lower-skilled workers while retaining or adding higher-skilled workers, and others by creating new jobs for higher-skilled workers. Locally, much of the same exists. While the employment of many industries is shrinking, projections call for growth in the “professional, scientific and technical services” industry, according to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. That sector is expected to gain the third-most jobs in coming years, behind “administrative and support services” and “local government.”

The impact hasn't happened by accident. The sector enjoys general support and pro-business incentives from public and private organizations. The region's central location and transportation infrastructure provide multiple distribution options. In addition, respected educational institutions, led by the University of Central Florida, attract research dollars and consistently produce an impressive number of graduates, adding to the quality of the workforce.

Says Reeves, "Advanced manufacturing is definitely a leg [in the local economy]."

She makes the statement, though, with a laugh... plus some parting words. Reeves confesses that even she once neglected the stature of advanced manufacturing. She is a local native who worked in the travel business before "reinventing herself" and taking the helm at MACF four years ago. In that previous life, like many other people, she seldom thought much about the role of Adaptec, Ortheon Medical, et al.

"I didn't realze the amount of manufacturing we have here, " she concludes. "And there's so much more on the way."

By now, most of you have heard of cloud computing — some of it good, some of it bad and, mostly, all of it confusing.

The idea of computing on the cloud and accessing needed files and programs has been around since the early days of the Internet with (ASP) and on-demand software services for things like sales, accounting etc. These services met the needs of a specific department, but the idea of moving a company's entire computing process to an offsite cloud where they'll save money, become more efficient and remain secure? Well, let's just say that sounded like the pie-in-the-sky stuff we used to read in those popular science magazines. You know, the stories that had us farming on the ocean floor or setting up colonies on the planet Mars by the year 1999.

Well, I'm here to tell you: It's not pie in the sky. The cloud is here.

Look, I hear varying experiences from people all over the world when speaking on the subject of switching to the cloud. These stories range from outrageous success to calamitous failure and everything else in between. But here's my theory on the cloud. If the time is right for you, take the leap. And if your not ready, you better start getting ready because, like it or not, that ship has already left port.

So, with that said, here are a few tips to use and questions to ask as you consider navigating this process:

What constitutes cloud computing?

Cloud computing is the new rave-and-buzz term in computing and covers a wide array of system, process and delivery platforms:

1. Storage-as-a-Service (On-Demand Disks): This is the ability to provide remote storage to a user and the most common of the Cloud Computing components.
2. Database-as-a-Service (DaaS): This is a remotely hosted database. This would benefit the company that doesn't want to spend the money on the software and hardware to host this database and serve this database. Databases require administration and delivery mechanisms such as SQL.
3. Information-as-a-Service: This is simply remotely hosted information commonly delivered through a remote API (Application Programming Interface). A good example of this would be streaming stock quotes and credit reports.
4. Process-as-a-Service (PaaS): This is the remote resource that binds several of the other "as-a-Service" based components. This is the process of creating remote business processes (I know it sounds crazy.).
5. Application-as-a-Service (No, I am not going to put the acronym here. Let say this is Software-as-a-Service). This is remote application delivery.
6. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

There are several other components that industry experts state are important components of cloud computing. However, for sake of making this THE most boring article you've ever read, I have only included the most important ones.

What are the benefits of cloud computing?

1. Lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Both on a support level and initial capital investment. You save money when it is on someone else's racks. And aside from the software and hardware savings, you may also save on overhead by outsourcing all of your IT services to your cloud provider. And hey, if you don't think you're already paying a lot for your current IT department, try this cool little calculator to give you a better idea as to just how much your currently spending: http://hiveve.com/new_site/pricing.php?PHPSESSID=7b4cbed0b6355dbee4f7e9709ffb5e92.
2. One-Stop Shop for your technology. Most cloud companies have made it their mantra to include everything in their cloud offerings.
3. Scalability becomes simple. Add/remove servers in an instant.
4. Complete Mobility. Remove the "Brick-and-Mortar" mentality of doing business. Many companies ask, "How do we free ourselves from the office?" Well, cloud computing and the virtual enterprise is the way. Sit on the beach and work directly from your iPad. It may sound hard to believe, but today more than 34 million U.S. adults telecommute at least occasionally. And that number is expected to swell to 63 million — or 43 percent of U.S. workers — by 2016.
5. Disaster Recovery. This fits right into your DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan). Cloud computing is certainly on the rise. Most C-level people have considered this a viable upgrade/option for some time now.

How do I select a cloud provider?

It's no secret that most large enterprises are moving in this direction. With so many companies emerging as the "leaders in cloud computing," how do you know which one is a good fit for your company?

The core steps are to assess the platforms, analyze and test the platforms, select three targets, and deploy. The main factors to consider when looking into a cloud company provider are number of clients, what their clients are saying, and what are the true needs and requests for moving your business into the cloud. You should then ask the target company, "Why should we move into the Cloud"? Evaluate the responses you receive back.

Additionally, you should do the following:

1. Research the target company and determine its viability.
2. Make sure the SLA (Service Level Agreement) includes a failover and disaster timeframe with accountability. Also, make sure they have tested that failover.
3. Make sure the target company has multiple data centers. A true sign of an unstable cloud provider is one which has only one data center.
4. Make sure the target company provides you a complete set of policies.

None of us can foresee what the future holds for IT systems and platforms. Yet, I can tell you my forecast for business computing during the next 10 years: partly cloudy with a100 percent chance of participation.

On May 25, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company was simplifying its privacy settings.

As the media was so quick to point out, his announcement was a reaction to the furor caused by Facebook users and observers, following Facebook's roll out of significant changes to what it does with private information and third parties. Various media also pointed out Zuckerberg didn't apologize for the decisions that created the uproar.

Should Zuckerberg apologize?

During the past several years, his company has faced a number of situations in which it was roasted by the press and its own users for decisions that aren't privacy sensitive. But it is the users who are deciding to continue with Facebook. Of course, Zuckerberg should have apologized. He put private information in harm’s way for hundreds of millions of people.

Yet, I would not have expected him to be at all apologetic, because Facebook isn't built for privacy. It’s built for sharing intimate details. Without that happening, the company’s business model would break down. It thrives by putting user’s private information at risk.

I’m not suggesting the company should continue to put information at risk. Quite the opposite; they can still be a huge, profitable company without do so. They’d just have to change the way they do business, and I suspect that it would be difficult to change so drastically in light of such success.

Despite being opposed to Facebook’s privacy attitude, I must also state that the media, in one way, has treated the company unfairly — by complaining about the complexity of Facebook’s privacy settings. I have been involved in creating privacy settings for Internet services, and it’s not easy. When you're trying to give people choices, it's likely to get complicated.

The complexity shouldn’t be at issue. The methodology should.

The recent changes at Facebook that increased the privacy risk for users were done without giving the users the ability to protect their information in advance. The default settings were made to share, not protect, the information. The changes were only apparent if you read about them in other sources. And the access to the settings wasn't as easy as it should have been. These are all significant issues, causing many users to shut down their Facebook accounts altogether.

Zuckerberg and his company didn’t feel the need to apologize. And he didn’t. He merely announced Facebook would simplify the task of overriding the default settings. In essence, Zuckerberg was saying he is completely insensitive to the privacy needs of his users.

The company had already made the changes that put the information at risk — such as automatically sharing information with third parties about Facebook users who hadn't explicitly logged out of their Facebook accounts before moving on to the next page in their browser — and he made no announcement about changing it back.

He got what he wanted. Now all he had to do is keep users from defecting, and he’ll have accomplished his goal. He was confident that most of them wouldn't bother changing their privacy settings, even after Facebook made them simpler.

I use Facebook infrequently, and only when needed, then log out every time I leave a Facebook page. I changed my privacy settings and constantly monitor to see if anybody I know has put up too much information on their pages about my family — and ask them to remove it. I harp on my teenagers about the amount of information they share, sometimes effectively and sometimes in vain.

And I keep my fingers crossed.

Editor’s note: David Radin is a national radio show host and business consultant. You can reach him at www.megabyteminute.com.

As the economy attempts its slow climb out of the recession, many businesses are once again looking to fill positions. This could spell relief for some of the millions of unemployed Americans. However, a recent survey of job seekers conducted by Infinity Consulting Solutions found 59 percent of hiring managers tend to favor candidates who are currently employed over those who are unemployed.

Smart managers know to file away this school of thought — and the stigma attached to those left jobless —with other outdated thinking. The reason? During the prolonged recession, many highly skilled employees lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and those very people can bring desirable attributes to a forward-looking company.

Taking a fresh look at prospective employees during this historic economic downturn is just one of the challenges, and opportunities, facing human resource managers. New hires made in the next several months will have a significant effect on a company’s success in emerging from the recession. That is why it is more important than ever to make hiring a thorough and strategic process.

Here are several steps a company can take to help avoid costly hiring mistakes:

• Conduct a needs analysis. Smart hiring starts with making sure the company is ready to take on additional staff. A needs analysis should look at whether the current workforce is being properly utilized and whether recent business growth supports the new position. It also should identify essential functions and performance criteria. Additionally, all costs associated with the position, ranging from recruitment and wages to training and benefits, should be determined.

• Develop a good job description. Managers ready to hire should develop clear job descriptions. Not only does this make the recruitment process easier, but a good job description can also serve as an important legal document and compensation tool. A clearly defined job description outlines what is expected of the person hired for the position, including job title and tasks, expectations, goals, skills and education, as well as the working conditions provided. Avoid ambiguity by making sure the information is straightforward and simply communicated. A complete job description helps applicants better understand the company’s expectations, and it can be a useful interview aide for managers. Remember, a job description also provides a candidate’s first impression of your company, so make sure it is well written.

• Don't dismiss the unemployed. Résumé gaps tend to be red flags for hiring managers who view unemployed applicants less favorably that those currently employed. Yet, the huge number of layoffs during the worst of the recession left many talented people idle. Don't dismiss such candidates before digging a little deeper. Taking the time to ask an extra question or two — for example, what did the applicant do during the gap to remain productive? — could turn up a future star. Hiring managers also should consider that some job candidates may have taken interim jobs outside their chosen field to make ends meet. It is no secret that jobs have been scarce, so remain open-minded. What is important is that these individuals have remained active and that their temporary jobs, paid or voluntary, have complemented and even enhanced needed skills in their chosen field.

• Maximize recruiting tools. Managers learned very well how to trim and sometimes slash costs during the recession. But any temptation to cut corners on recruiting can easily lead to mistakes that will be more costly in the long run. Savvy executives need to consider all recruiting options, from conventional methods such as advertising through newspapers’ classifieds to posting on social networking sites, to positively impact the hiring process. In fact, a 2009 CareerBuilder.com job forecast survey found more employers turning to the Internet to find potential employees. A quarter of those surveyed said they plan to use newer media, such as blogs, as well. Industry organizations also can be useful. In addition to providing good networking opportunities, many trade groups maintain online job banks where members can review available jobs and post their résumés.

• Invest in background checks. Assuming that all job candidates provide honest information on their résumés or in interviews can haunt hiring managers. There is little doubt that a percentage of job candidates fudge the facts or simply lie, and a bad hire potentially can hurt a company’s revenue and productivity. Nearly half of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com in 2008 reported that they had caught candidates lying on their résumés. A year earlier, a survey by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations revealed that two-thirds of the small businesses surveyed said that up to half of their job applicants had lied. While no one can control a job candidate’s honesty, businesses can decide whom they want to hire. Background checks are both vital and cost-effective measures to help protect a company and its employees. These include obtaining information on a candidate’s work history, possible criminal record and personal references.

Just as the recession taught companies how to be more efficient with resources, the economic recovery can lead them to new practices for making strategic hires. While it may be tempting to immediately bring in new employees to relieve overworked staff, making new hires without first analyzing the company’s needs and available talent thoroughly could lead to regret or worse: the costly process of finding a replacement.

Tim May is a team manager for Administaff (http://www.administaff.com), a professional employer organization that serves as a full-service human resources department, providing small- and medium-sized businesses with administrative relief, big-company benefits, reduced liabilities and a systematic way to improve productivity. The company operates 50 sales offices in 23 major markets.

Almost any Florida beachgoer is familiar with Ron Jon Surf Shop, one of the most recognized brands in surf- and skate-based products and apparel.

Yet, what comes to mind when you think of Ron Jon? Is it the laid-back beach lifestyle? Long-haired, tan-bodied surf enthusiasts catching some ocean waves? Lingo like “aloha,” “amped,” “bangin’” or “boss”? Or maybe even Ron Jon’s funky, casual 24-hour store in Cocoa Beach?

You might also think the person behind this business fits those profiles — but you would be wrong. In reality, the president and chief operating officer of Ron Jon Surf Shop is a middle-aged woman. Not only is Debbie Harvey head of the famous Ron Jon brand, but she's also riding the crest of her retail industry. Even more, she’s a leader in the community, volunteering for a variety of local organizations.

Though born in the Philippines, Harvey grew up in Fort Lauderdale and spent most of her life in Florida. She attended the University of Florida, where she earned two B.S. degrees, in business administration and marketing. At least that Florida background somewhat matches the company’s image. While Ron Jon’s ethos may reflect a mellow, relaxed style of living,  the person who runs the company does not. Instead, Harvey’s style is hard driving, straightforward and all business.

“I basically started my career in retail the Monday after I graduated from college,” she says.

Harvey joined the executive training program of what was then Maas Brothers Department Stores, which later consolidated and became Burdines. There, she worked her way up from area manager to assistant buyer and eventually to divisional merchandise manager.

Even after Harvey had made such notable advancements in her career, she continued pushing forward. She moved to Beall’s, becoming vice president of apparel, and then had a short stint with the Home Shopping Network before leaving Florida for Tennessee to work for Goody’s Department Store. In 2000, family issues compelled her to return home to Florida, and not long thereafter, she was recruited to work for Ron Jon as vice president of purchasing.

Today, Harvey has been with Ron Jon for almost 10 years and has been the company’s COO since 2008. There, her pervasive experience in retail has well equipped her to be the leading woman behind the surf shops.

“In business,” she contends, “every position that you have improves your experience bank and prepares you to deal with a variety of scenarios. Some of the most important lessons you can learn [teach you] how to deal with and manage different types of people."

Another lesson learned that Harvey has put into practice is understanding the importance of smart growth. “Overall, my goal as president of Ron Jon is just to make our stores as profitable and exciting as possible while growing in a smart, measured way. We want to enhance our business and brand while placing stores in sensible beach locations that reflect what our company represents.”

Above all else, she adds, business is business, regardless of niche or perceptual stereotypes. “Our business is knowing how to serve the customers, delight the customers and provide them with the merchandise they expect to find in our stores,” she asserts.

“When you’re a merchandise buyer, you learn to separate your personal taste from what the customer wants. If you’re good enough at it, you don’t need to be the type of person others expect you to be.”

Also, while one might expect the retail industry to be cutthroat and male dominated, Harvey claims just the opposite. “I believe that the retail industry was one that was at the forefront of having women in management positions. By its very nature, it tends to attract a lot of women into the buying positions, and it was just a matter of time before they started moving into the upper ranks of management positions. If you just take a look around the industry, you can see that the president of Beall’s is a female, the president of the Home Shopping Network is a female [and] there are a lot of women at the [helms] of retail [companies].”

Notably, Harvey’s commitment to community service is just as hard driving as her career in retail. Her mantra: “I am part of my community, and I believe in it.”

“I think that it is very important to challenge yourself to get out of the office and into the community and strive to make a difference,” she says. “Overall, I’m trying to make [Brevard County] a better area for business." Harvey is involved with numerous organizations, both professional and charitable; for example, she serves as chair of the board of directors for the Florida Retail Federation and as a board member of the Brevard Zoo.

Harvey not only lives that mindset, but she also encourages her fellow executives to do the same. Her head of operations is on the board of United Way, and her marketing director is on the board of Take Stock in Children, a nonprofit organization providing low-income, at-risk students with the opportunity to excel in their education through scholarships and mentoring programs.

Even with so much on her plate, Harvey is still able to excel in all she does. Like one of the county's many surfers poised to enter the water, she is both zealous and passionate about her work. She clearly loves what she does.

“I look forward to coming to work every day,” Harvey concludes, “and I don’t think it gets any better than that.”